


In The Moment

by JB Harris (LizAna)



Series: The Janto Files [10]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Conflict Resolution, Episode: s02e04 Meat, Established Relationship, Jealousy, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, What Happened After, janto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-26 14:08:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14403753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizAna/pseuds/JB%20Harris
Summary: Picks up at the end of Meat -- the scenes we never got to see -- Jack and Ianto discussing what happened in the warehouse and how the mission went wrong, how they dealt with Gwen's outburst and lots of Janto feels.





	1. Chapter 1

The last thing Ianto expected to find when he made it back to the warehouse floor was absolute silence. He pulled up short, cradling his left hand against his chest, trying to catch his breath from the short fight to subdue the men who’d made one last ditch effort to escape.

Gwen was sitting on the floor, holding an unconscious Rhys, murmuring over and over that he was going to be okay. Jack, Tosh and Owen all stood near the giant creature, which had fallen unnaturally still. It wasn’t just sedated like they’d planned, it was dead. He could tell from the slump of Jack’s shoulders and the way Owen was holding onto Tosh’s hand where she had it resting on his shoulder.

Christ, this had been a disaster almost from beginning to end. The adrenaline he’d been running on was swiftly draining, leaving him exhausted and the ache in his hand turning into an insistent throb. Despite everything that’d happened, somehow, they still had to find the energy to clean this mess up.

Jack finally turned away from the creature, and when he did, his gaze landed on Ianto. Something close to fury crossed his face and Ianto straightened as Jack stalked toward him, coat flaring out behind him with his determined strides. Shit. He knew he’d messed up. He’d been in such a hurry to find Rhys, he hadn’t watched himself carefully enough and gotten caught, which had put Jack in an even harder position when it came to resolving the deteriorating situation. Whatever Jack was going to say to him, he deserved every word. He just wished it didn’t have to be in front of the rest of the team.

Logically he knew in this instance, Jack was his boss and nothing more. If it were anyone else on the team, they wouldn’t get special treatment to save them from the inevitable lecture. Except these days, when Jack’s disappointment and displeasure was directed at him, he took it to heart—not that it happened very often. But when it did, he felt it that much more deeply because Jack was the one person he never wanted to fail.

He swallowed as Jack closed in on him, already feeling emotion welling up within him at just the look on Jack’s face. But he would take whatever Jack yelled at him and make sure he never made such a stupid mistake again.

“Jack, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

His words got cut off as Jack collided into him, crushing him into an embrace that almost left him unable to breathe. But it didn’t matter. He didn’t care about anything as surprise and then relief hit him hard and he clung onto Jack in return. He hadn’t expected Jack to grab him up so desperately, he’d been prepared for a confrontation instead. But this—this was exactly what he needed. What they both needed. An echo of the absolute terror from earlier returned, when the gun had been aimed at him point blank and he’d thought he’d been about to take a bullet in the face. The only reason he was standing there in Jack’s arms was because of a bloody misfire. A stroke of luck and nothing more. He tightened his hold, burying his face in the collar of Jack’s coat, too many emotions crashing around inside him to make sense of anything.

Jack pulled back, and when Ianto looked up, he found a tear slipping down Jack’s cheek.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked in a hoarse voice.

He nodded, the tightness in his throat making it almost impossible to speak. “You?”

“I don’t know,” Jack whispered, reaching up to trail his fingers tenderly along his jaw. “Ianto, I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you. I tried to get a clear shot—”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” The reassurance felt hollow when he sure as hell didn’t feel okay, yet he cupped the back of Jack’s neck, fingers soothingly brushing through his hair.

“But you almost weren’t.” Anger edged into Jack’s words, tightening his expression. “When you yelled out for me, it stopped my heart. I thought you were going to die right then and I couldn’t— God, I don’t want to ever feel that kind of fear again.”

He didn’t know what to say, but then it didn’t matter, because Jack kissed him; full and deep, unmindful of where they were and all the things that still needed to be done. It wasn’t artful or seductive, but it was completely consuming and for a moment, Ianto forgot how to breathe. It ended too soon, Jack pulling away fractionally, but leaning their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry I had to order you to go after them like that,” Jack said in a low, uneven voice.

“You were right, we couldn’t let them get away.” He leaned back and sent Jack a grin, though he wasn’t feeling the amusement. “Besides, turned out to be a good way to work off the anger.”

Jack arched a brow, but the usual spark to the expression was missing. “Oh yes?”

“Managed to stun them both within about thirty seconds of walking into the office.” He added a shrug to downplay what had actually been kind of badass, even if he did say so himself.

“Think this place has CCTV? I’d like to see that.” Now Jack’s grin was closer to its usual wattage, though still a little dim around the edges.

“If it doesn’t, I’d be happy to provide a re-enactment later, sir.” Just as he’d hoped, tacking the _sir_ on the end and adding just a hint of innuendo to the words made a spark come to life in Jack’s blue-grey eyes.

Jack shook his head slightly, as if he knew exactly what Ianto was trying to do. “You never cease to amaze me, Ianto Jones.”

“All in a day’s work,” he inclined his head a little and Jack gave a small eye roll before leaning in to kiss him briefly.

“Come on, we need to get Rhys back to the hub. Truthfully, I think we all need to get out of here.”

“What about the clean up?” He cast his glance upward to the creature, feeling a pang in his stomach that they hadn’t been able to save it after all.

“It can wait until the morning. Right now, we need to make sure Rhys is okay and debrief on just how badly this all went wrong.”

“If by debrief you mean drink copious amounts of scotch, then yes, we definitely need to do that.”

Jack shot him a wan smile as they walked over to join the others. Ianto took a breath, ignoring his throbbing hand. At least for today, the worst was over.


	2. Chapter 2

_You all think it's cold and lonely out there, but it isn't for me because I have him…_

Jack watched Gwen move off screen, out of the CCTV’s range, arm in arm with Rhys, the words she’d tossed at him like shards of glass going around in his mind.

She’d steam-rolled him yet again. Gwen was formidable, which was exactly why he’d added her to the team. Unfortunately, she also didn’t mind completely destroying any boundary that got in the way of what she thoughts was right, and that included the members of her own team. She could see a weakness then exploit it to her own advantage in the blink of an eye and he’d proven to be the rule, not the exception.

The others probably thought it was his complicated feelings for Gwen that’d left him unable to do anything but agree to her ultimatum, flung at him in no uncertain terms. But it’d had less to do with Gwen herself and more to do with Ianto and the whole disastrous mission.

They’d failed this time, barely contained the situation. The sentient creature they’d intended to save had died after suffering horribly. Rhys had gotten shot and Ianto had nearly been killed. If not for the simple fact the gun had either misfired or run out of bullets, Ianto would have likely been lying on the autopsy table right now. And Jack—he would have been in pieces.

Oh, he knew one day their luck was going to run out and he would ultimately have to face that reality. Eventually he would be on the other side of Ianto’s last day. His last kiss. His last smile. His last breath. There was no getting around it. He was going to lose all of them. Owen, Tosh and Gwen. Already feeling so raw at the fresh reminder of the fact he would eventually and no doubt painfully go on without them, he hadn’t been able to handle Gwen threatening to take retcon and leave if Rhys didn’t get to keep his memories of the day.

It’d likely been an empty threat. If he’d really pushed, he doubted she would have gone through with it. But she would have hated him, and he’d lost enough friends and loved-ones that way over his one-hundred-and-forty-plus years of life.

Now her words refused to leave him. In some ways she’d been right; it had been cold and lonely out there for him, too many times to count. And it would be again in the future. But right now, he had a team that was more like a family—even when they weren’t getting along all that well. More importantly, he had Ianto, who brought so much warmth and light into each and every day, he wasn’t sure he really deserved it.

Raised voices brought him out of the dark thoughts and he leaned over to tap at the keyboard, turning off the CCTV showing him the quay. Pushing to his feet, he hurried out of his office to find Owen facing off with Ianto.

“What is going on?” he demanded loudly, a little more sharply than he’d intended since he was still trying to get a handle on his emotions. It cut them both off from practically arguing right over top of one another, while Tosh stood by, staring at them in concern.

Owen crossed his arms and pinned Ianto with an impatient glare. “Ianto neglected to mention he dislocated his thumb to get the ropes off his wrists so he could play hero and wrestle over the gun earlier.”

“ _What?_ ” He hurried over to where the pair of them were staring each other down in front of Gwen’s empty workstation.

“It’s nothing,” Ianto told Owen with a withering glare of his own. “I told you, I’m fine.”

“Yeah, well until you’ve got the initials MD after your name, excuse me if I don’t take your word at face value,” Owen shot back.

Ianto opened his mouth to reply—no doubt with something witty but cutting—however Jack stopped in front of him, settling an expectant look on him.

“Show me.” He held his hand out, palm up, catching Ianto’s stubborn blue gaze with his own.

Finally, Ianto muttered a curse and brought his left hand up. Clearly swollen, bruised and probably very painful.

“Ianto—” he murmured in shock, unable to believe he’d done it, let alone hadn’t said anything to anyone.

Owen butted in and took over, taking Ianto’s hand and turning it over to examine it.

“I told you, it’s fine. I popped it back into place right after—”

“Yeah well you did a shit job, because it’s not in properly.” Owen brought his attention up, but looked at Jack instead of Ianto. “I’m going to have to dislocate it again to put it back into place. Properly this time. It’s going to hurt like all buggery.”

Jack slid his gaze to Ianto. “Autopsy bay. Now.”

“Yes, sir,” Ianto replied, heavy on the sarcasm.

Owen shook his head like he was questioning Ianto’s intelligence, but spun on his heel and walked off, telling them he’d see them down there. Tosh was making herself busy at her workstation, so Jack reached over and slid a hand around Ianto’s waist, pulling him in just a little.

“Let us take care of you. You saved us tonight, it’s the least we can do.”

Instead of appeasing or settling him, it only made Ianto look angrier.

“I didn’t save us, Jack,” he shot back in a low voice, obviously not wanting anyone to overhear them. “I got captured. I set the creature into a panic because the gun went off when I was trying to wrestle it away. And then I nearly got shot myself.”

He set a hand against Ianto’s cheek. “You got to Owen and told him what was happening. If Owen had gone in with only a sedative, Gwen, Rhys, Tosh and I might have gotten crushed before Owen could bring the creature down. Then you singlehandedly took out the bad guys. If that doesn’t count as saving us, then I don’t know what would.”

He opened his mouth and Jack could tell he was going to argue some more, so he solved things the way they most often solved their arguments—by kissing him and stealing whatever words had been on the tip of his tongue.

At first, Ianto stood stiffly, probably because they didn’t often let things get personal in front of the others. Except then he relaxed into it, sinking against Jack. Ianto’s right hand slid up to rest on his chest, right above his heart, beating steadily and strongly for the man standing in his arms.

Jack pulled back, this time sending Ianto a small intimate smile, one he usually reserved for when it was only the two of them.

“Please, let me make sure you’re okay.”

Ianto huffed a defeated sigh. “You know I can’t say no when you look at me like that.”

“I know,” he murmured, smile widening to a grin. “Besides, we might need that hand later on.”

Ianto rolled his eyes—exactly the response Jack had been hoping for—then brushed past him as he headed for the autopsy bay. Jack glanced at Tosh, catching her watching over the top of her glasses. He winked at her, leaving her blushing lightly before he slid his hands into his pockets and sauntered after Ianto.

Down in the autopsy bay, Ianto hopped up to sit on the edge of the silver table while Owen got out some bandages and an ice pack. Jack went and stood next to Ianto as the doctor turned to him and took his hand a little more gently this time. He spent a moment examining it once again, before nodding like he’d settled the plan in his head.

“Not going to lie to you, teaboy. This is going to fucking hurt. I can give you a local, though it won’t dull all the pain and we’ll have to wait for—”

“Just do it,” Ianto told him impatiently.

Owen stared at him until Ianto finally arched a brow.

“Fine,” Owen huffed. “But if you pass out from the pain, I’m not going to catch you and I will take the piss over it for at least the next two weeks.”

Ianto sent him a sharp smile. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less of your particular bedside manners, Owen.”

Owen took him by the wrist again, and Jack set a hand on Ianto’s shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Ianto gave a tight nod. “Let’s just get it over with.”

“Holding onto him is probably a good idea,” Owen told him distractedly.

Jack shifted closer, pressing himself into Ianto’s side.

“Okay, I’ll count to three and then pop it out and back in. Easy.”

Ianto gave a tight nod, only the slightest flash in his gaze hinting at his apprehension.

“Right. One. Two—” Owen didn’t make it to three, but with a sharp movement, popped Ianto’s thumb out just like he’d said.

Ianto made a pained noise and clamped his right hand onto Jack’s forearm in a bruising grip, pressing his face into Jack’s shoulder. With another quick movement, Owen had the joint back into place, leaving Ianto to sag against Jack with a ragged breath.

He slid an arm around Ianto’s back, pulse racing. He hated seeing anyone in pain, but when it was some he— When it was Ianto, it was so much worse.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked in a rough voice.

Ianto sat back from him, swaying slightly, his face pale and a few fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead.

“Actually, it does feel better now,” he murmured, sounding a little surprised.

“Told you,” Owen muttered as he bandaged Ianto’s hand and then pressed an ice pack into it. “Ice it, twenty minutes at a time, five or six times over the next twenty-four hours. And no funny business. Not with that hand, anyway.”

Jack couldn’t help sending Ianto a sly smile. “Lucky you’re right handed.”

Ianto gave a weak laugh while Owen actually took a step back. “Excuse me while I go bleach my brain and hope to God I can forget hearing that. Ianto, go home, mate. Get some rest. Actual rest. Not Jack Harkness rest.”

Owen handed over a small bottle of pills, and Ianto mumbled a thanks, before the doctor jogged up the steps.

“Let me take you home?” Jack asked as soon as Owen was gone.

Ianto gave a single nod as he slid off the autopsy table. Neither of them said anything as they grabbed their coats and walked up to Ianto’s car. Jack took the keys and drove in comfortable silence.

Halfway there, however, he could feel Ianto staring at him intently.

“What is it?” he asked when it seemed like Ianto wasn’t going to say anything.

“About the things Gwen said—”

He sighed, the raw feelings from earlier rising up within him again. “Ianto, I don’t want to get into it—”

“I’m not. It’s just, I know she upset you. But you know it’s not true.” Ianto’s hand slid across the console to settle on his knee. “You’ve got me. Out there, and anywhere else you need me.”

Jack swallowed, the simple words sinking deeply into him. “Thank you.”

Ianto nodded and they were silent again. When Jack pulled the car to a stop outside of Ianto’s flat, he turned to find Ianto still watching him. They stared at each other for a long moment, then Ianto slowly leaned forward and softly kissed him. It meant everything to him, told him so much more than any words they could have exchanged and once again, Jack was left wondering whether he really deserved a man like Ianto Jones.

And just how long he’d get to hold onto him before the universe snatched him away.


	3. Chapter 3

Gwen came in late the next morning, well after Tosh, Owen and Jack had left to start the unpleasant clean up at the warehouse. Much to his chagrin, Jack had made Ianto stay behind to “coordinate” from the hub, because he was still meant to be resting and icing his thumb at regular intervals.

He debated not making a coffee for Gwen until she asked for it, but after a terrible night’s sleep—both from the fact that the pain killers hadn’t been entirely effective against the ache in his hand and he’d refused to take any more even though Jack had called Owen and the doctor had told him he could do exactly that, as well as the fact that Jack himself had been more restless than usual—Ianto didn’t want to make what would clearly be interpreted by Gwen as a hostile move, which would only result in her being that much harder to deal with.

“They all left without me, then?” Gwen asked, sounding slightly annoyed as she dropped her bag down.

“Jack did have me send you a message,” he replied in a carefully even voice as he set her usual morning coffee on the desk.

“He should have called,” she grumbled and Ianto had to clench his jaw over a cutting reply.

“Maybe you should make sure you’re here at a decent hour and not rely on Jack or me to chase you.”

She glanced up at him, clearly surprised that he’d said anything at all. However, this time, he couldn’t stay silent. Gwen had hurt Jack and shown no regard for anyone else’s feelings either. Jack had already been feeling raw about how badly the whole thing had gone, anyone could have seen that. Yet Gwen had seemingly decided to take her fear and anger over what had happened to Rhys out on the person who least deserved it. Ianto knew he was letting his personal feelings get in the way of his position at Torchwood, but apparently there was only so much he could take.

“Leave off, Ianto. Yesterday was horrible. Rhys got shot, he could have died—”

“So could I!” He didn’t yell the words, but the intensity of them seemed to have almost the same effect as she reared back a little. “So could any of us. And no, Rhys didn’t sign on to work for Torchwood like the rest of the team, he got pulled in through circumstance. He was in danger and you were scared because you love him. But you hurt Jack and I can’t work out if you know and don’t care, or really don’t see what you do to him sometimes. And I definitely can’t work out which is worse.”

“Ianto—”

He held up a hand to stop whatever she’d been going to say. “You probably think it’s not my place to say anything. And maybe it’s not. But think about it, Gwen. Jack has done so much for you. Is that really how you want to repay him?”

She stared at him, mouth slightly open, clearly no idea how to respond. He sent her a nod and left her to the coffee, heading down to the autopsy bay to fetch an ice pack for his thumb. When he came back up, she was staring blankly at her computer. He felt a small vindictive spark of gratification, hoping that she’d finally woken up to herself. But it didn’t last because he did feel bad for her at the same time. After everything that had happened with Lisa, he probably should have been more understanding about her fear and desperation not to lose the person she loved most in the world. But Lisa was his past. Jack was his now, and something had to change. Gwen couldn’t keep treating Jack that way, and moreover, Jack couldn’t let her.

He went down to the archives to avoid her, because he knew if she started crying, he’d feel bad enough that he’d want to comfort her. Jack checked in from the warehouse a few times, sending text messages to let him know how the clean up was progressing. When he finally messaged to say they were on their way back, Ianto went up to the hub, only pausing long enough to grab his coat on the way out to get some lunch. Gwen seemed to be filling out some kind of paperwork. She looked up when the cog wheel door opened and spotted him.

“Going out to get lunch, then?” she asked setting her pen down.

“Just to the sandwich bar. Don’t think the others will have much of an appetite considering what they’ve been doing all morning. Back in a few.” He turned to leave, but she hurried over, pulling on her own jacket.

“Mind if I come? I could do with the fresh air.”

He nodded, not saying anything in case he blurted out the truth that the last thing he wanted was for her to tag along after their previous conversation. But apparently he was too polite to say so.

Gwen stayed silent and things between them were definitely on the uncomfortable side of awkward until they’d left the quay and were crossing the Plass.

“Ianto, I’m sorry,” Gwen finally blurted out like she’d been working up the courage the whole time.

He inclined his head. “I appreciate it, but I’m not really the one you need to apologise to.”

“I do, though, owe all of you an apology. What I said, I didn’t mean it—”

“Yes, you did.” He didn’t add any heat to the words, just stated it as a simple fact. “You think we’re all so entrenched in Torchwood that there is nothing else out there. In some ways, you’re right. But we’re not cold and lonely, Gwen. And you aren’t that different. Despite Rhys, you’ve become just as inured as the rest of us. That’s why Jack is always reminding you to hold onto your world outside with Rhys, because you have a lifeline the rest of us don’t. You can be pulled out, but me and the others—”

He glanced away, swallowing down the sudden tightness in his throat. He’d likely become yet another Torchwood agent who failed to reach their thirties.

Gwen set a hand on his arm and pulled him to a stop.

“Ianto, that’s not true. You could find someone, find something like you had with Lisa, have something outside—”

He sent her a sad smile. “Gwen, I’m so cemented within Torchwood, I might as well be part of the foundations. I don’t need anything outside of Torchwood, but that doesn’t make my life cold and lonely.”

She stared at him for a long moment and he could practically see her mind working.

“Because of Jack.” The words landed somewhere between a question and a statement. “You and Jack, the two of you are—”

“Come on, if we don’t get back to the hub before the others, Owen will pitch a fit over not having coffee.” He was blatantly ignoring her question because he wasn’t willing to have this conversation with her. Not now, maybe not ever. Especially since he didn’t know what the hell he and Jack actually were.

They’d been on a handful of dates that’d been amazing and Jack had definitely been more attentive and affectionate since he’d come back—in private, but very occasionally also during work hours, like yesterday when Jack had hugged him instead of yelling at him. He’d wondered a few times what it meant—were they official, actually dating, a real couple? But then he constantly told himself it didn’t matter. For now, he had Jack, who clearly cared about him. He had companionship and someone to spend (the occasional) lazy Sunday morning in bed with, someone to see movies with, and a bloody good shag whenever he wanted it. Maybe eventually he’d have to sort out what that made them, but not today.

Gwen looked frustrated by him dodging her question, but didn’t say anything as they went to collect the sandwiches and then started making their way back.

“Do you ever worry about how it’s going to end?” she suddenly asked when they reached the boardwalk.

He glanced at her, not sure what exactly she was referring to, since it could have been any number of things. “How what’s going to end?”

“You and Jack.”

His heart bumped against the inside of his chest and he focused determinedly ahead, trying to keep his features blank. Of course he bloody did, and he couldn’t decide which option was worse—Jack disappearing on him again one day, leaving him wondering for the rest of his life. Or him getting killed trying to save the world for the hundredth time, leaving Jack to mourn him. He’d seen how hard Jack took it when he lost people, and Ianto hated the idea of causing him that kind of pain.

“And it doesn’t bother you, the way he gets around—”

Now he did stop and look at her. “What are you trying to say, Gwen?”

She shrugged, finally looking uncomfortable at her own line of questioning. “I’m just saying, I wouldn’t have thought someone like Jack could make you happy.”

“Someone who cares about me. Someone I can talk to. Someone I have fun with. Someone who understands me.” Even though he was talking in general terms, he still felt like he’d revealed more about his relationship with Jack than he wanted.

Gwen was eyeing him closely, like he was a suspect and she was trying to work out whether he was telling the truth. “And what about the rest?”

He sighed, shoving a hand through his hair. He knew exactly where she was trying to push this, but he wasn’t going to say it.

“The rest isn’t anyone else’s business. Its between me and Jack.”

“But Ianto, we all saw how much you loved Lisa, how you were willing to do anything to save her. Jack isn’t the kind of man to—”

He arched a brow at her in a cutting look, silently asking if she was really going there.

“He might leave again any time,” she pushed on. “And he doesn’t seem the type to be satisfied with just one person at a time. I can’t believe you’re okay with that, because if I knew Rhys was shagging around on me—”

“You know for a fact that Jack is shagging around?” Typical Gwen, she’d somehow worked out every insecurity he tried to ignore about Jack and dragged them into the light of day.

She looked taken aback by this and it took her a moment to recover. “Well, no, but the way he talks—”

“Is just talk.” He resumed walking, ready for this conversation to be over. He didn’t actually know for sure Jack didn’t regularly go on the pull and shag a dozen random people a month, he just hoped it wasn’t true. But Jack was Jack and he’d long ago accepted him for the man he was. If Jack did sleep with other people, the important thing was that Ianto was the one Jack always came back to, so that had to mean something.

“I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get hurt, sweetheart.”

“Really? Because it sounds to me like you’re jealous.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back again. There’d been a time or two when Gwen had treated him like crap—not often, and usually they got on fairly well. But he was well aware of the complicated relationship she had with Jack and there’d been a handful of instances when it’d seemed that Gwen had let jealousy get the better or her… conveniently never in front of Jack. And never in an obvious way anyone else might have noticed.

Gwen was staring at him in shock that was swiftly giving way to anger. Only God knew what she was going to say to him now. Before she could do little more than open her mouth, however, the door to the tourist office flung open and Jack came bounding out, smile breaking over his face when his gaze landed on Ianto.

An answering warmth bloomed in his chest, the way it always did when Jack turned that smile full-force on him, like nothing bad could truly get to him as long as Jack had a smile for him. Jack came over to slip some of the paper-wrapped sandwiches from his grasp and Ianto had to resist the urge to lean forward and greet him with a kiss like a normal couple would.

Jack, apparently had the same idea but no qualms about following through, because he shifted in and kissed Ianto on the cheek, murmuring a low hello that somehow managed to be suggestive and intimate at the same time. Usually they restrained from obvious displays of affection during work hours; making do with small, subtle touches and glances instead. He wondered what the sudden change in Jack’s actions meant.

As Jack stepped back, he burrowed his fingers into the wrapped sandwich to peak at the toppings.

“Sorry, I was hoping to get back and make coffee before you arrived,” he said, starting to step past Jack toward the door to the tourist office.

Jack stopped him with a hand on his arm. “No rush. I thought it’d be nice to sit outside on the quay to eat lunch after being in that dank warehouse all morning. Join me?”

“Of course,” he replied, waiting for the inevitable interruption from Gwen, either demanding Jack’s attention or inviting herself along. Except Jack didn’t give her a chance to say anything. He bundled the rest of the sandwiches into Gwen’s hands.

“Mind running these down to the others? They’ll probably say they’re not hungry, but tell them they need to eat something, Captain’s orders.”

Gwen passed an unreadable look between the two of them and then nodded, before heading toward the door of the tourist office.

Jack turned and offered his elbow. Ianto slid his arm through Jack’s, determined not to care what the few other people walking up and down the quay might think. They set off toward a bench further along the boardwalk that they often came to sit on when they needed a break from the hub.

“What was that all about?” he had to ask after they’d only taken a few steps.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Jack shot back with an irreverent smile, telling Ianto the exact opposite. He sent Jack an exasperated frown, leaving the other man laughing as they reached the bench and sat down.

“Fine, that was me rescuing you from Gwen. And making a point.”

His stomach flipped over at Jack’s words, trying not to read too much into it, if Jack didn’t mean it the way he thought… the way he hoped…

“Explain?”

Jack sighed and some of the amusement slipped away. “I was keeping an eye on CCTV cameras, waiting for you to come back and I spotted the two of you talking.”

“And?”

“Lip reading software.”

Ianto’s heart stopped for a second, a low swell of panic rolling through him as he tried to remember exactly what he’d said to Gwen.

“Jack—”

Jack leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth, cutting him off. “You don’t need to say anything. But I do.”

He started to shake his head, because he didn’t need Jack to explain anything. He was fine with how things were, happier living in ignorance than knowing the truth about some of the things Gwen had questioned. But Jack cupped his cheek, staring steadily into his eyes.

“Gwen was right.”

His stomach dropped into his feet and he had to close his eyes. He couldn’t hear this.

“Jack, please—”

“I might have to leave again one day. If the Doctor ever needs my help, or, I don’t know, something from my past catches up with me. But I told you once before and I absolutely meant it. I came back for you. I will always come back for you.”

He opened his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath at the depth of emotion in Jack’s gaze, his eyes telling him things they never dared say to each other.

“And there is no one else, Ianto. I haven’t been with anyone else since you and I first started—”

“Really?” He tried not to sound absolutely dumbfounded, but completely failed.

Jack gave a quick laugh. “I don’t know whether I should be amused or insulted.”

Jack caressed the side of his face, touch almost reverent. Ianto’s pulse skipped in response, because Jack had _never_ looked at him like this before. It made his breath catch and his head spin, made him want to blurt out those three words he’d been holding back so desperately.

“How could I want anyone else when I’ve got you?” Jack’s voice wasn’t much above a whisper, but each one rang clearly in Ianto’s mind.

“Jack—” He had no idea what he wanted to say, words had become a jumble in his mind. But Jack shook his head and dragged a thumb across his lower lip.

“Just tell me if I’m the only one for you as well.”

Jack had actually shocked him with that. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised because they’d never talked about it, never set down any ground rules or parameters. But he thought Jack knew him well enough to realise he wasn’t the type to sleep around. Anyway, between Torchwood, the rift, and Jack, when the hell would he even have the time?

He gave a surprised laugh and Jack arched a brow.

“Besides the fact that you shag me senseless every opportunity you get, and the rest of the time I’m so exhausted from work I can barely climb down to your bunker, let alone drive myself home, exactly where do you imagine I’d find the energy to be with anyone else?”

Jack’s expression took on an exasperated edge, but Ianto didn’t fail to miss the hint of vulnerability in his eyes. For some reason, this was important to Jack, even if he’d never admit it.

He reached up and framed Jack’s face in his hands. “You are the only one, Jack. There’s been no one else since the first night I worked up enough courage to kiss you.”

“Have I ever mentioned how glad I am that you took advantage of me that night?” Jack sent him a cheeky smile before turning his attention to the sandwich he’d left sitting in his lap.

“I took advantage of you, did I?” he asked archly as he unwrapped his own lunch.

“You so did,” Jack replied around a mouthful of bread, chicken and mayo.

“And how do you figure that?” He flicked open one of the paper napkins and hastily spread it over Jack’s thighs before any of the mayo could end up on his trousers.

“I was vulnerable. I’d just been sent through the rift to face an eternity of slavery, killed, and then brought back again by a pair of very sexy lips supposedly giving me CPR. Not to mention that Mandy woman gave me a dressing down worthy of any mother over the way I’d been treating you.”

Ianto let a small smile kick up the edge of his lips as he finished unwrapping his tuna and cucumber sandwich. He was glad that Jack felt comfortable enough to joke about it, but like the night with Lisa, everything in the hours before he’d taken Jack back to his flat and they’d spent the night together for the first time, he tried not to think about it too much. He wasn’t exactly proud of how he’d acquitted himself that night. He’d been a mess of emotion. Hadn’t known which way to turn until he’d realised too late that he’d sent the person he should have been turning to through the rift to a life of slavery. Because when his mum had called and told him about the lump the doctors had found, his first instinct, his first thought had been to tell Jack. It’d been the wake-up call, like a bucket of ice water in the face that he’d been needing for weeks.

“Hey.” Jack touched his chin lightly and he looked up to meet the other man’s eyes. “I wasn’t trying to upset you.”

“I know.” He sent Jack a reassuring smile. “I just regret—”

“Nope.” Jack leaned into him and smacked a loud kiss into his cheek. “No regrets today. Not now. The sun is shining. We’re eating the finest sandwiches in Cardiff and for this second at least, there’s no rift activity, no aliens, no space junk, no weevils. Nothing but you and I enjoying a rare moment of absolute serenity.”

He sighed, charmed by Jack’s words like he all too often was. “Is that what this is?”

“Yes, it is, Ianto Jones. Now shut up and eat your lunch.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” He told Jack with a grin, enjoying the growl he got in response.

Living in the moment with Jack—at least until they finished their lunch—sounded about as close to perfect as he could imagine right then. So when Jack slid an arm around him, Ianto leaned into his side and relaxed, simply enjoying the sensation of being up against the one person he loved more than anyone in the world. Even if he’d never tell him so.


	4. Chapter 4

As the elevator arrived at the hub, Jack expected Ianto to pull his hand out of his grasp like he always did whenever they arrived together and the team were already on the other side of he cog wheel door. But when Jack loosened his fingers in anticipation of Ianto’s practiced move, he was surprised that Ianto simply tightened his own grip and made a point of _not_ letting go.

No way was he going to possibly ruin the treat by questioning it, so Jack simply followed Ianto’s lead, ready to let go whenever the younger man decided he wanted to.

They stepped off the elevator and through the cog wheel door, Jack trying not to make it obvious he was watching Ianto closely. They made it all the way to the workstations where Tosh was absorbed by something on her computer, Owen was idly turning himself back and forth on his chair, pen in his mouth, staring at something on his screen and looking utterly bored, while Gwen was quite obviously hovering, waiting for his return.

After the way their last conversation had gone, he wasn’t all that interested in dealing with Gwen and whatever she had on her mind now. But unfortunately he knew she wouldn’t be dissuaded and wouldn’t let herself be avoided until she’d gotten it off her chest. She started to step forward and open her mouth, but then seemed to notice he and Ianto were holding hands and pulled up short.

“I’ve got some things to catch up on in the archives. Do you want coffee before I go?” If Ianto had noticed Gwen staring at them, he wasn’t letting on.

“You make me that coffee and I’ll love you forever,” he added a grin and an exaggerated wink, enjoying the surprised noise Gwen made.

Ianto, however, barely reacted apart from the slightest arch of an eyebrow. “Forever is a long time for a single coffee.”

“Better make it an extra good one, then.” He gave Ianto’s hand a final squeeze, then let go. Ianto immediately headed off for the kitchenette while Jack turned toward his office. He’d barely taken two steps when Gwen shifted into his path.

“Jack, can I talk with you, please?”

He didn’t reply, but jerked his chin toward his office. She nodded and stepped aside to let him go first, while Tosh and Owen exchanged silent looks. Probably debating whether they wanted to make themselves scarce before the shouting started.

Shoulders getting tight, Jack walked into his office and stiffly sat in his seat behind his desk, lacing his fingers on the slew of papers Ianto had left for him to review. Gwen closed the door and then came over to perch on the edge of the chair opposite him, looking almost as uncomfortable as he felt.

“Jack, about yesterday—”

“I think everything that needed to be said about Rhys and the retcon was said, don’t you?” His words were calm, but there was no mistaking the steel behind them.

Gwen was a little taken aback by this, but quickly gathered herself. “I was out of line. I was emotional and I took it out on you.”

“Yes, you did. Me and everyone else. But that’s not the point.” There was a discreet knock at the door before Ianto slipped inside with his blue and white stripe mug.

“It’s not?” Gwen asked, not seeming to notice Ianto until he’d stepped around her and placed the mug on his desk. A hint of annoyance flitted across her face before she hid it.

Ianto went to step away again, but Jack shot out a hand and grabbed his wrist, keeping him in place. Ianto stared at him for a moment, and must have seen something in his eyes, because he sent him Jack an almost imperceptible nod, then shifted to stand behind him. Not to join the conversation, but sending a clear message of support and unity.

“Gwen, your passion and determination is what drew me to you. Those emotions you feel so strongly, they radiate from you like few others I’ve ever met. I’ll admit, it made you a pleasure I couldn’t deny myself. Torchwood wouldn’t be what it is today without you.”

Gwen was staring at him with wide eyes; there was no doubt he had her undivided attention, just as he’d planned. He stood, catching Ianto’s gaze momentarily as he rounded the desk to sit on the front edge where Gwen sat. He reached down and took one of her hands.

“The way you love Rhys, that’s how you should love someone; completely, irrepressibly, to the point that you’d lose your mind if anything ever happened to them.”

He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder at Ianto. Yesterday had scared him; Ianto had come so close to being killed. The memory resurrected his anger and he tightened his hold on Gwen’s hand. For the first time, Jack feared what was going to happen to him when he did eventually lose Ianto Jones.

“I pray that you’ll never have to face a situation like that again; with Rhys in the line of fire. But this is Torchwood, and you made the choice to bring him into this; he knows about us now and you have to take all the danger that comes with it.”

Gwen opened her mouth to say something, but he held up a hand to cut her off.

“Let me finish. Yesterday, you repeatedly tried to put Rhys before the team. When we first saw him at the warehouse, you wanted to run out and confront him just as Owen and Ianto were about to breach. I had to physically restrain you from going against my direct orders. Then again, when Rhys and Ianto had been captured, you once again defied me to hand yourself over to the enemy. And what did you achieve? Rhys got shot and Ianto nearly got killed. Tosh and I almost got crushed by the creature we were meant to save. Owen was forced to kill a sentient being that had already been unspeakably tortured.”

Gwen’s gaze was glinting with defiance and pain. “It was Rhys! He shouldn’t have been there in the first place. You let that idiocy go ahead—”

“And in the end, you agreed to it.”

“Like I had a choice!” Gwen flung back. “You can’t understand the absolute terror I felt every second the entire time—”

“Can’t I?” Jack asked the question quietly, but it still effectively cut her off. “Is that what you really believe, Gwen? Over all the decades I’ve lived, I’ve never loved anyone that desperately? I’ve never watched someone I love walk into certain danger when all I wanted to do was pull them back, keep them from harm, protect them at all cost?”

Gwen’s gaze slid past him to Ianto and he felt his heart kick against the inside of his chest. He hadn’t been talking about Ianto directly… or had he? Watching Ianto struggle over the gun, being unable to do anything about it, he hadn’t felt dread like that in a long time.

“There will be a next time, Gwen,” he said, gaining her attention. “And next time, I expect you to be Torchwood first and Rhys’s girlfriend second.”

Gwen finally pulled her hand from his. “You told me that’s why you hired me, because I wasn’t like the rest of you. That you didn’t want me to be like the rest of you.”

“That’s true. But only to a point.” Jack pushed to his feet so he was looking down on her. “When lives are at stake, Torchwood always comes first, Gwen. And if your actions ever put Ianto or the rest of the team in danger again, then disciplinary steps will be taken.”

Colour bloomed on Gwen’s cheeks, but he couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or infuriated. Probably a little of both. She shoved to her feet and leaned toward him.

“And what will that involve, Jack Harkness?”

He started to open his mouth, but Ianto beat him to it.

“Probably best you never find out,” Ianto drawled with a hint of authority to his voice. Of course, Ianto no doubt had all disciplinary actions for every breach of protocol memorised. Damned if that didn’t turn him on just a little.

Gwen passed a glance between the two of them. Maybe if it’d just been him, she might have kept pushing. But this time Ianto was standing with him, and it seemed she wasn’t willing to take on both of them.

“Are we done?” she asked, not sounding the least bit repentant or cowed.

He simply nodded, leaving her to whirl and practically storm out of the office.

Once she was gone, Jack let his shoulders sag. Barely a second later, Ianto’s hands were sliding over the tight muscles.

“You handled that well,” Ianto murmured, fingers gently digging in either side of his collarbones.

“You think? I doubt Gwen would agree.” He leaned back, into Ianto’s chest. The other man’s hands slipped down and around to embrace him, holding him closer.

“Once she cools down and thinks about it, she’ll realise you were right and let her off lightly, all things considered.” Ianto’s fingers traced a pattern across his stomach, leaving him shivering. “And if she doesn’t, there’s always protocol D-twelve, subsection eighteen.”

“Oh? And what does that entail?”

Ianto shifted in until his lips brushed Jack’s ear and then he whispered something deliciously filthy.

He laughed in surprise, wishing it was late enough in the day that he could get away with sending the others home early. If he told them to leave when it was barely past lunch, they’d definitely know something was up. Besides, then he’d have no one else to take care of any rift activity when he wanted to be otherwise occupied. 

He pulled out of Ianto’s hold far enough to turn around. “I don’t believe we’ve ever had to enact that particular protocol before.”

“I’d be happy to provide you with a detailed and thorough demonstration later in the day, sir.”

How Ianto managed to keep a straight face and deliver that with absolutely no inflection whatsoever, Jack would never know. What he did know, however, was that if he didn’t get Ianto somewhere alone in the next ten minutes, it was quite possible he’d temporarily loose hold of his sanity.

“When was the last time we went weevil hunting, Ianto?”

Now, a smile did slip over Ianto’s features, but he quickly contained it and cleared his throat. “Three days ago. I seem to remember it was a rather outstanding weevil that afternoon.”

Jack nodded seriously. “You’re right. It was. We should probably head out and make sure there aren’t any other outstanding weevils that need taking care of.”

Ianto went over with measured steps and took his greatcoat from the stand. “At your discretion, sir.”

He walked over and slipped his arms into the coat, before turning to level a warning look on the other man.

“Ianto Jones, one day that mouth of yours is going to get you into serious trouble.”

The grin that crossed Ianto’s face was nothing short of devilish. “I should certainly hope so.”


End file.
